Engine-starter.



ceived Within JOHN I). KNEEDLER, OF SIOJ'X CITY, IOWA.

EN (EINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25., 1 913.

Application med February 29, 1912. serial iva-680,708.

.7b all whom t may concern a citizen of the United States, residing county oi. lVoo'dbury' and Sioux City, in the State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful .Improvements in Starters; and I do hereby declarel lowing to be a full.,

scription of the Enginepertains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates to automobiles and more particularly to engine starters for automobile engines.

An object of the invention i s to provide' comprising an au' pump erating the pump or for starting the engine r or in inoperative positions, as. desired.

Other objects. and. advantages Will be 'here- 'inafter set.forth and pointed out in the specification and claims.

'lhe drawing which forms a part of thisv a diagrammatic View showlng application is some of the parts in section.

Referring more particularly to ythe drawing 1 represents the cylinders of an engine such as employed upon automobiles -and 2 the s'haft with the'wide gear wheel 3 mounted thereon.

Parallel with the engine shaft 2 is the drive shaft 4 of the engine starter, one end of the shaft 4-being mounted in the bracket bearing 5 while the opposite y end is re- 1one end of the 6 which extends through a bushing 7 Within an o ening through the stationary niember 8 w ich may, if desired. form a part of the engine casing. y

The drive shaft ll'earries the rigid narrow laars 9 and 10 near its opposite ends, the rgear 10 being adapted for engagement at times with the wide more clearly stated. The shaft 4 also oarries the bevel gear 11 which is secured thereto by the collar 12 and set screw 13, a short dist-ance from the gear 10 and is adapted to vmesh at times with the bevel gear 14 upon a suitable stub shaft carried by the post. 15. The narrow gear 9 is adapted for engagement at times Be it known that l', JOHN l). KNnmn.nR,-

the folclear, and exact de r invention, suoli as will en l 0 able. others skilled in the art to which it apadjusting pin ,said motor.

gear 3, as will be later with the gear shaft 1-7 of the air shaiit by means of said motor. A coil spring 19 is positioned between the lgear 10 and the bracket bearing 5 and engaged. around the shaft 4 latter in its outermost position.

' Carried upon a pin 2() projecting from the ter flat face of the bevel gear 14 is one end of the pitman rod 2l; the opposite end 16 upon the has therebetween the outer end of the piston rod 23. f the removable head of the pump cylinder 25 which has its opposite vend closed by a similar head 2G With 27 which isnormally held spring controlled valve inner face of said head to close the openin 27, by means of the leaf spring. 29. The piston rod 23 carries upon its end'within the cylinder 25 a piston 30 which draws air into thecylinder and :forces the same, by means of the pipe 3l into the storage tank 32. It will be understoodV that valves and 34 are secured respectively, by means of springs 35 and 36 to the piston 30 and head 3T of the storage tank 32. It will .further be understood that the' piston 30 has pro- :losed by the vided therethrough a passage, against-Which the valve 33 is normally held While the valve 34 is held against thoend ot the pipe 3l secured to the .head 3T of the storage tank 32. The opposite vnd ot the storage tank 32 is closed by a simillir head 38 having a blowofl" or safety valve 39 held against the opens ings 40 through the head 38 and controlled by the curved spring ell, as will be clearly' understood. Leading from the storage tank Sois an air conducting pipe 42 which is con nected with the air motor 18 to supply air' to said motor from the tank 32 to ope-rate Within said air conducting pipe 4-2, and preferably a short distance from the air motor 18 is a suitable controlling valve, the stem 43 of which projects through the stationary .member 8 'and has a wheel 44. or the like secured upon its end by means of which the valve may be turned to control the supply of air to the motor or eut off the supply, as desired.

The adjusting pin (3 is provided upon its outer end with a suitable button by means of which the same may be readily forced inwardly to its various positions as will be motor 18 to rotate the to resiliently retain the" The piston rod 23 wor-ks 'through' 28 held against the' l 75' f of which is -biturea'ted, las shown at`22 and acont-ral valve opening .presently clearly understood. and inwardly 50 arried by the stationary member'B and ist l y, storage tank is full or when it is desired for of the button said pin G is provided with circular adjusting channels 4G, 47 and 48 withinwhich the curved end of the pivoted locking lever 49 is adapted to engage to hold the drive shaft. 4 in the proper position. The locking lever 49 is pivoted to the/block hasY its /free'end'l bent and formed into a i' handle.

lVhen the curved end of the lever 49 is engaged within the circular adjusting chair nel 4G the drive shaft 4 is locked in its outermost or first position, at which time the gear .10 is engaged with the gear of the engine yshaft and the bevel gear 11 is engaged with the bevel 'gear 14 to drive the pitman rod 21 and thus operate the pump piston 30 from the englne shaft 2 to cause the saine to com press air and store the `latter in the storage tank 32. In this instance the gear 9 is disengaged lfrom'the bevel gear 1G and the motor 18 is inoperative.

air may be compressed and stored within the it is desired to start the same, the locking lever 49 is swung upon its pivot block 50` and the button 45 pressed'inwardly until the circular adjusting channel 47 is opposite the curvecencl of the locking lever 49 when the latter is allowed to engage within the chan nel 47'tolock the shaft 4 in its second or intermediate position. W'hen the shaft is in this position, the gear 9 is in mesh with the gear 16 of the air motor 18 and the gear 10 Y is in mesh with the gear 3 of the engine shaft 2 while the bevel gear 1l is thrown .away'from the bevel gear 14 connected with the pump piston rod Q3. ,'Thus it will he Seen that by turning the wheel 44 to the proper position to open the valve within the air conducting pipe 42, the air from the storage tank 32 will be admitted to the air motor 18 to operate the latter and thus start vthe rotation of the engine shaft 2 by means of the gears 16 and 9, the drive shaft 4 and -the gears 10 and 3, while the air pump remains inoperative.

en the engine is in motion and the any reason to render the Yentire starting mechanism lnoperative, the button 45 is pushed inwardly toits fullest extent andthe T curved end of the locking lever 49 engaged within the circular adjusting channel 48 locking the drive shaft 4 in its innermost position. with the gear 9 disengaged from the gear 16, the gear 10 disenga'gedfrom the -h60 Wide gear 3 and the bevel gear 11 thrownl away from the bevel gear 14, thus prevent-` ng rotation of the shaft 4.

It'will be understood that at any time the pressure of compressedV air within the stor- .r age tank becomes 'too great, 'theblow-olf Aorr By locking the drive 'shaft 4 of the engine starter in this position safety valve 39 will be automatically operated to allow the proper quantity of air to escape .from said tank.

lt will thus be seen that I have provided an engine starter of improved and novel "construction and operation and one whichA will be highly ehcient and effective in the performance of its duties.

lt will also be evident that a hose may be connected directly to the pump or to the storage tank and properly connected with a tire for the purpose of inating the latter.

What l claim is l. An engine starter comprising adrive shaft having gears nearits opposite ends, one of said gears being adapted to be engaged by a gear operated by Aa motor, a Yootor having a gear for engagement with said gear carried by the drive shaft, an engine shaft having a gear to be'engaged by the gear near the opposite end of the drive shaft, an air pump, and connections between the drive shaft fandpump.

2. The comhinationvwith an engine shaft, of a drive shaft, connections between the engine shaft and the drive shaft, anair pumpand a storage tank,connectionsbetween the drive shaft and the pump'for operating the latter, connections between the pump and the storage tank, an airl motor, connections between the storageftank and the airmotor, and means for shifting said drive shaft and connect-ions for disconnecting the drive shaft and pump and connecting the drive shaft with the air motor to start the engine. I f

3, The combination with an engine shaft, of a drive shaft, a pump, connections be-L tween the drive shaft and the pump, astorage tank connectedl with the pump, bearings for said drive shaft, said drive shaft being slidable longitudinally within the-bearings to various positions, means for looking the drive shaft in position within the bearings to connect the drivenl shaft with the engine shaft and with the pumpto compress and pump'air into the storage tank Ato be used for startingthe engine. 1

v4. `An engine starter comprising n combination with an engine shaft, of a drive shaft, a sto-rage tanlnan air motor, connections between the storage'tank and the air motor, means for controlling the supply of air from the storage tank to the air motor, said drive shaft' being movable Iongitudinally. gears carried by the drivshaft, a gear upon the motor shaft, a vgear upon the engine shaft, and means forlocking the shaft'or with the other offits 'gears in posi- -'tion with the gear of the engine shaft to start rotation ofthe' latter. n

A devicelof the class described comprising the combination of a motor shaft hav- `ling a gear vvheel, a

drive shaft having a gear Wheel adapted for engagement at times with the gear Wheel carried by the engine y shaft, said drive 4shaft having a second gear Said drive Shaft `Wheel vspaced from ltvhe first gear Wheel, a bevely gear upon the drive shaft, a pump having a piston, a bevel gear connected with the l bevel the p1ston, gear carri'ed by the drive shaft being adapted for engagement` at times with, the bevel gear connected With the piston of the pma storage tank coni an air motor contank, the shaft of the lair motor having a gear wheel, the. sec) ond gear Wheel carried4 by the drive 'shaft being adapted for nally and means for locking the drive shaft inoperative or inoperative positions.

6. A device of the class described comprising the combination of a motor shaft having-a gear wheel, a drive shaft having a gear wheel adapted for engagement at times with the gear Wheel carried by the engine the piston of the p'ump,

engagement at times with the gear Wheel carried bythe motor shaft,

being movable .longitudishaft, said drive shaft having a second gear Wheel spaced from the first gear Wheel, a bevel gear upon `the drive shaft, a pum having a piston, a bevel gear connected with the piston, the bevel gear carried by the drive shaft being adapted for engagement at times with the bevel gear connected with a storage tank connected With the pump, an ail' motor c'onnected with the storage tank, the shaft of the air motor having a gear wheel, the second Agear Wheel carried by the drilve shaft being .adapte-d for engagement at times with the gear wheel carried by the motor shaft, said drive shaft being movable longitudinally, `and means for locking the drive shaft in operative 0r inoperative positions.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specilication in the presence of twoI subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN D. KNEEDLER. Witnesses: C. A..KNEEDLER,

BLANCHE I. STEWART. 

